Voice in the Wind
by mobile fountain triangle
Summary: Sequel to Child of the Forest. War is upon the Inu no Taisho kingdom. And what will decide between victory and complete annihilation of the kingdom is one girl. Can she keep her world from crashing around her with only the help of a voice found only in the wind?
1. Prologue

**A/N (FOR NEW READERS): **Note, this is a SEQUEL. In case you're like me and don't read summaries all that well, the first story was the Child in the Forest, which can quickly be located on my profile page. I mean, I _guess _you could read this first, but really, you'll only confuse yourself further. Just go read the first story.

**Prologue**

The rain thundered down mercilessly and she gazed up hopelessly at the grey sky. It was growing dark and late and she was sure her family would be growing worried by now. But sadly, the rain had washed away her trail and she became hopelessly lost. She took cover under a thick canvas of leaves, grumbling to herself. The rain came down in such a panic, muffling all other sounds. That was why she did not hear the sound of hooves beating into the soggy earth.

She saw the horses, though, and sighed in relief, thinking the horsemen to be her saviors. Premature relief, that is. The moment she stepped out from under the leaves to be seen, her heart stopped, an icy feeling crawling into her chest. Then a fiery hate took over and she gritted her teeth.

Ten black horses came to a stop in front of her, huffing and thrusting their hooves into the mud. The rain still fell as quickly as ever.

"You are trespassing," she hissed angrily, standing tall.

The man in the center, riding the largest horse, its saddle adorned with jewels and died a blood-red, laughed. "No, it is you who is trespassing, girl."

She tried not to look surprised and a bit guilty. With her mindless wandering, trying to find a familiar spot, it was possible she had wandered too far. She would not hear the end of this when she returned home.

The man on the horse squinted and looked her over, confusion evident in his eyes. Suddenly, it clicked and his eyes brightened in understanding.

"Who are you?" she demanded hotly, not liking the look in his eyes. While she had never met this man before in her life, she had a hunch as to who it was.

He signaled to one of his men and the guard nodded, jumping off his horse and grabbing her by her arm.

"You are not going anywhere," he grunted as she struggled. She threw a fist into his face and the guard stumbled back, clutching his nose. Another guard hurried off his horse and rushed at her, but she was quicker. She ducked and spun around, one leg out, knocking the man off his feet, head going straight into the mud.

She stood up, smirking, happy to see she had acquired no injuries, when she felt a rope wrap around her wrist. She quickly yanked it off, whipping around to face the man. He smirked evilly at her as she pulled a throwing knife from her boot and aimed it right at him. He ducked and the knife flew over his head, the blade sinking into the bark of a tree. With her back turned, one of the guards was able to throw a rope around her neck. She tugged on it as another sailed through the air, wrapping over her shoulder. More flew through the air and soon she was tied down, jerking about, trying to free an arm, a hand, anything! It was futile, though and she shrieked.

"Release me now! I command you!" she barked and the man laughed at her.

"I know exactly what you are," the man hissed, "And I am not letting you go anytime soon."

He jerked back her head, making her look him directly in the eyes. She did not notice that he had pulled something out of his pocket, only seeing it when he brought it into view.

And that was the last thing she saw before the burning set in. It was like fire, overwhelming her sense and thoughts. She did not realize that the scream emitting through the air was her, all she knew was the burning.

The world dimmed and darkened, falling to black in her eyes. The burning lingered, forever scarring her mind. Her head slumped and her body was pulled up by the guard, thrown over the back of a horse. Hooves thundered as the group continued their travel, the rain falling as quickly as ever.

**1234567890987654321234567890**

Down in the cellar, sat two men, one on either side of a rickety table. Few lanterns dotted the stone walls, making the room dim and uninviting. Behind the tables was a line of cells, each one empty, the ground covered in dirt and the bodily remains of old guests.

One man, with a prickly black beard and thick eyebrows, downed another bottle, slamming it back on the table. He hissed slightly, his eyes closing as the liquid burned down his throat. The other man, with hard skin and black eyes, threw and small knife into the table, pulled it out, and repeated the action. Both looked bored, but neither dared to move. It was not expected, nor allowed, of them.

With a bang, the heavy metal door to the cellar slammed open and the sound of heavy boots could be heard as someone made their way down the stairs. The two men exchanged glances with one another, apprehensive. They shared the same thought. _He never comes down here!_

The owner of the boots finally made his way to the cellar, a smirk plastered on his face. His eyes glinted and the man with the beard swallowed hard.

"M'lord," he began, but his Lord held up a hand, silencing the bearded man.

"I have brought something," their Lord spoke, and evil glint evident in his dark, unforgiving eyes.

What had gone unnoticed was now visible. Their Lord had brought a guest. The man with the dark eyes knew that he should not feel this way, but he felt sorry for the being. No one usually came out of here alive.

"They will be a new guest here," their lord smiled dementedly. The guest, a woman, made not a sound or a movement. She only stood immobile, eyes glued to the floor.

The bearded guard stood up, taking the guest. Their lord nodded and spun on his heel, leaving. "You know how to correctly accommodate them," he called as the cellar door slammed shut, turning the room to silence once more.

The other man rushed forward, concern etched on his face. "Are you okay? Who are you?"

"That is not important," She hissed in a raspy voice. "None of that matters, not now."

"Can you escape?" The man asked.

For once, she looked up, and the guards gasped. She smiled sadly, gazing not at their eyes, but still at their faces. She could not see them, but she knew where the guards were.

"I cannot, I am afraid. You see, I have been struck blind."

**A/N: **Yay! Sequel! For those darling viewers who have waited patiently for me to finally finish this. And for those who were impatient as well. Happy now? :)

Anyway, as usual, I just need one simply little review and I'll continue this story. Because it has only just begun…


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Well, it seems I forgot something kind of important. Oops. First time for everything, right? :)

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its affiliates are property of Rumiko Takahashi. All other characters, settings, and plotlines are property of this author. There shall be no unauthorized reproduction of this story. Viewer discretion is advised.

**Chapter One**

_ Creak._

_ Twang!_

_ Ka-thunk._

"Not there!"

_Creak._

_ Twang!_

_ Ka-thunk._

"Dammit. Missed again."

_Creak._

_ Twang!_

_ Ka-thunk._

"Instead of aiming in the same spot, do you suppose you should move your bow?" The aged voice rang in Morinoko's ears and she gritted her teeth. She did not turn around, already knowing the condescending look etched in the elder woman's eyes. After all, she had seen it many times before.

_Creak._

_ Twang!_

_ Ka-thunk._

"I moved it and I still missed, Sensei," Morinoko sighed, lowering her bow.

Her sensei chuckled. "Move it left girl, left. Not up. The wind blows to the right, so move it left."

Morinoko obliged, raising her bow once again.

_Creak._

_ Twang!_

_ Ka-thunk._

With a satisfying smirk, Morinoko watched as her arrow sunk right into the bare spot on the tree, which had been carved out to be no wider than an inch. "That was good, was it not?" Morinoko bragged.

"It is not center."

Morinoko groaned, stomping her foot childishly. She threw her bow on the ground, knocking over her arrows. She spun around. "Not center? I hit the target, did I not?"

The elder woman sat several feet away, under the cool shade of a tree, sitting on wooden stool. Her graying hair was pulled back into a tight knot atop her head. She closed her eyes and sighed, standing up. Her temple miko clothes moved gently in the wind as she walked over to Morinoko.

"It is not that you did not hit the target, it is that you did not do as you were told. Center it," the elder woman commanded. "Besides, you barely made it in anyway."

Morinoko rolled her eyes, glancing over at her arrow, resting on the edge of the bare spot on the tree. "I am tired," Morinoko complained. "Why can Father not teach me today?"

The elder woman sighed. "He is busy and you know that. With his brother gone, he has to shift around his army. Border control has been tough lately. It is almost as if Naraku's trees relay messages to him."

Morinoko crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. It was true; Naraku seemed to be topping everyone. It seemed that as they years went on, Naraku's borders stretched out farther than ever. Last she heard, the Memorial Planes were on the very edge. Why her Father refused to hand over that useless patch of land, she never knew. It was not like it could be used for harvest.

"I do not like archery practice," Morinoko complained.

Her sensei gave her a stern look. "You should never be without a weapon."

Morinoko reached down to her ankle and produced a silver throwing knife from her hiding spot. She held it up for her sensei to see and smiled. "I never am." Morinoko was particularly well skilled with her throwing knives and she bragged about it far too often, people would say. What could Morinoko do? She was proud of her skill. It came naturally to her.

"You have been carrying that around all day, have you not?" Her sensei accused.

Morinoko laughed. "You said to never be without a weapon. So, I am not."

Her sensei attempted to snatch it out of her hand, but Morinoko was too quick. Her yokai reflexes were always helpful when it came to humans.

Her sensei sighed in frustration and glared at Morinoko. "Go study, girl. I am tired of having to deal with you. I swear, you are just like your father! Proud and arrogant!"

Morinoko started to walk off, laughing, "Something I am proud to say I got from him!"

Her sensei sat down when she saw that Morinoko had disappeared around the corner and was not within earshot. "And so good with that knife," she whispered, "just like your mother."

**1234567890987654321234567890**

Morinoko entered the library, humming a small tune to herself. She slid the door open and was greeted by an elderly man dressed in purple robes. "Ah, Morinoko-san! How good it is to see you! How was archery?"

Morinoko snorted, sitting down on the floor, pulling a book down with her. She flipped open to a page and skimmed over the text. "Horrible, Sensei is so tough on me! Why is she like that, Miroku-san?"

Miroku chuckled. "She had always been like that. Years ago she was like that with Kagome. Now, years later, she is like that with you. It just means she cares."

"I do not care if she cares!" Morinoko whined. "If it is not perfect, it is not good enough in her eyes."

"Well, Kagome trained under her and look how powerful she became," Miroku pointed out.

Morinoko kept her mouth shut, careful not to blurt out her next thought. So, instead she chose something more respectful to say. "Kagome was a miko, I am not. Not even close." Morinoko tugged at her silver hair, twisted into a long braid. "See the hair? How about the pointy ears? Or the green eyes? Not human, thus not a miko."

Miroku rolled his eyes. "I mean to say that Kagome had a deadly aim. She killed Bankotsu, the leader of the Band of Seven, a man who terrorized the land, with one shot. Straight to the heart. You do not remember, seeing as you were not yet born."

Morinoko nodded. "I am not nearly as old as you. Or Sango-san. Or sensei," Morinoko snickered, noting how when her sensei became angry, which happened quite often, she aged several years.

Miroku rolled his eyes and pulled a tomb off the shelf, placing it on top a stack on the table.

"I should go," he told her. "Sango will be returning home shortly and Sesshomaru-sama has required these books." Morinoko peaked up at the title and frowned when she saw it. Shenoticed that it was an old tomb that had been used to record the Inu No Taisho Kingdom history. Morinoko had not a clue about what use the book could possibly have. How could a history book be of great importance to her father? It seemed like such an old book, and so foreign. The binding was a weird texture and from her position, Morinoko could tell that the stench was unusual.

Miroku exited the room, caring the book precariously in his arms. Morinoko thought of helping him, but she did not want to see Father just yet. He was always worse when he was working.

Morinoko sighed and shut her book, placing it back on a shelf. She stood up and exited the library as well, quite bored. The palace was so boring! By the time she was eight she had already seen the entire grounds and was even familiar with the town more than most commoners. There was not an inch of space she had not seen and it was quite frustrating.

"Mori-chan!"

Morinoko whipped around and smiled as a cheerful redhead made her way towards her. "Morinoko, have you seen Shippo?" Ayame asked.

"Shippo-kun? Why no, I have not. May I ask why you are looking for him?" Morinoko asked pleasantly.

Ayame blew her bangs out of her eyes and tapped her foot impatiently. "I need him do clean the dining hall, but he is nowhere to be found and it is frustrating! If you see him, tell that sneaky little fox that he will not be eating dinner tonight if he does not do his job!" Ayame huffed, crossing her arms.

Morinoko nodded. "Rin's daughter I visiting. I suggest you go find her to find Shippo," Morinoko giggled. Ayame's eyes widened.

"Of course! That little man!" Ayame breathed, turning on a heel and sprinting off to the guest room of Rin's daughter, Akiye. It was not surprise to anyone that Shippo held deep affections for such a pretty young thing. With her smooth black hair and smoky grey eyes, she was truly a catch.

Morinoko ambled down hallways, only briefly admiring the decorations. She had little time for such fancies, really. Morinoko enjoyed being outside, running through the gentle breeze and under the fallen leaves. She could not understand how Father could spend so much time in such an airless place.

Morinoko took a step outside into the gardens, taking a deep breath. She shut the door behind her and squinted into the sun. From above, a dark shape dropped down.

**A/N: **Well, normally I don't post another chapter until I get a review, but I noticed that two people are following this story and it would be just down-right cruel if I made you guys wait any longer. I mean, it's be what, over a week since I posted the prologue? Not nice (of me).


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Shippo!" Morinoko shrieked as she shot a hand out and Shippo ducked, laughing wildly.

"Scared you, did I not?" Shippo laughed, his ponytail swinging violently.

"You dropped out of a tree!" Morinoko ground out, making Shippo laugh harder. Morinoko swung at him again, her fingertips brushing against the side of his ear as he moved away.

"You will not hit me if you swing that slow," Shippo taunted, keeping a grin on his face. Morinoko growled and left Shippo standing as she moved farther into the gardens.

"You better run back to the kitchen, boy," Morinoko snapped. "Ayame-chan looks like she is going to have a fit if you do not do your job." Shippo's laughter ceased and when Morinoko turned around, Shippo had fled. Morinoko smiled smugly, hoping that Shippo would face the wrath of Ayame.

**1234567890987654321234567890**

The stars twinkled dimly in the setting sky, the moon rising steadily. Morinoko gazed wistfully out the window, feeling depressed. Father had only recently come out of his study, and that was only to eat. To Morinoko, it seemed he had gotten worse as the threat of Naraku loomed over his head. Morinoko hoped Inuyasha would return home soon to lead out another border patrol to watch Naraku and his grubby fingers.

Feeling mischievous and downright curious, Morinoko slinked over to the kitchen and peeked in. Ayame was nowhere in sight and Shippo sat lazily on a barrel, his eyes half-shut.

"Shippo-kun!" Morinoko hissed and Shippo jumped up, his head twisting wildly as he looked around frantically. His eyes finally settled on the door and he smiled when he saw Morinoko peering through the crack between the doors.

"Eh, Morinoko, what do you want?" Shippo whispered.

Morinoko grinned, sliding open the door just a tiny bit more. "I am feeling a bit evil, actually. Come with me, I am bored."

Shippo nodded his head vigorously, sneaking out of the kitchen and following Morinoko down a hallway. "And what exactly are we going to do?" Shippo asked, feeling like a young boy again. He could not help but feel giddy about it, despite being a young man now.

"Spying," Morinoko informed him. "I want to know why Father is so anxious right now."

Shippo froze. "You want to spy on Sesshomaru-sama? He will hear us!"

"That is why we are spying," Morinoko told him. "If you do it well, he will not hear us." Shippo felt worry growing in his belly, but he followed after Morinoko, keeping his head down.

Morinoko came to a stop in front of her father's study, pressing an ear to it. Shippo hesitantly did the same, still looking worried. The muffled voices of Sesshomaru and Miroku filtered through the thick wooden doors and into their ears.

"…Not quite sure. Maybe?" It was Miroku and he sounded unsure and annoyed.

"I doubt it. He would not easily agree," Sesshomaru responded in his deep voice.

There was a mumbling sound from Miroku, followed by him more loudly deciding, "For a parcel of land?"

"No," Sesshomaru sighed and Morinoko could picture him leaning back, resting his head in his hand.

"Then I have nothing!" Miroku groaned. "I am too old for this! I do not know how, but we are always a step behind him! Remember the old days, back when a man's land was his own and not a soul dared to question it?"

"You must be ages older than I, for I do not remember such a time. Naraku had always been encroaching on my land, but this time, I am defenseless."

Morinoko frowned. This is what had Father acting more distant than normal? Naraku? Morinoko leaned back and stood up. Shippo glanced up at her and did the same.

"Always politics," Morinoko sighed.

Shippo grinned. "He is a lord, Mori-chan. What did you expect? Him to be having a tea party?"

Morinoko glared at Shippo, nonverbally telling him that she did not appreciate his humor at the moment. "I do not see what the big deal is! Why do we not just go in and take back the land?" Morinoko complained.

"It is not that simple," Shippo answered. "For many years now Naraku's armies have defeated ours and Sesshomaru-sama is at loss for what to do. Naraku seems untouchable now."

"Naraku must have a weakness," Morinoko decided. "And I will find just that!" Shippo's eyes widened as Morinoko strode off purposely.

"She is going to get herself in trouble," he mumbled, following after her.

**1234567890987654321234567890**

The lights in the library were dim, burning low. Miroku, his lids heavy, shut another heavy book and groaned. "I am too old for this!" he complained.

A small voice filtered through the dark room. "Always a lazy man, are you not?" Miroku turned and grinned as Sango came to join him, sitting beside him.

Sango looked Miroku in the eyes and frowned. "You are worried," she stated.

Miroku looked away. "Times have worsened, my dear."

Sango sighed. "I wish you were not so secretive with me. I wish to know what bothers you!"

Miroku turned and took his wife's face in his hands. "In due time you will know, dear, but for now, it is between Sesshomaru-sama and me."

Sango nodded, standing up. "I understand, Miroku. You have a job to attend to," Sango told him. "I am tired and will turn in for the night. Do not stay too late, will you?"

Miroku nodded and turned back to his work as his wife left. Sango stopped at the door, glancing once more at her aging husband with concerned eyes. The last few years had been difficult ones, with tragedies scarring memories at every turn.

**A/N: **Whoa, hey, I'm not dead! :D I'm back after such a long…uh…vacation-thingy? Anyway, yeah, I kind of kept "forgetting" I had this story in the making so…yeah. I'm also lazy. We can't forget that.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Inuyasha kept his head low, travelling at night. It was easier to make his way through the village like this, on the night of the full moon. His dark hair made him look more human, which was helpful, seeing as he had travelled with no human companion, only himself.

Inuyasha stopped in a tavern, taking a seat at an unoccupied table. He ordered a sake and left it at that.

"…I only heard that he left a long time ago. I do not know why, though. Heard it was bad there," a gruff old man two tables over told his friend, a man with weak eyesight.

His companion nodded. "Naraku has a nasty home. Only the gods know why a man would willingly choose to go to the home of Naraku. Tell me, where was he hiding?"

Inuyasha's ears perked up as he heard Naraku's name. He was too old for eavesdropping, or, so he thought. He did his best not to look conspicuous.

"North, under the wolf tribes. Had a little cave in a mountain, living like a hermit," the old man answered.

His companion let out a wheezy cough before replying, "Damn bastard, had to go and destroy us all. I lost a lot of land out there on the border! Damn Lords are powerless, even that one Demon. Thought he would come in and teach that Naraku a thing or two about land-ownership. It will not before long when Naraku will have sovereignty over us all."

The old man raised his drink in agreement. "Damn that Tamon."

Inuyasha stood up and left the tavern quickly, securing the name in his mind. Never once had he heard of a man named Tamon before, but he knew that somehow Naraku's sudden peak of power had to involve this Tamon. Inuyasha would be damned if he did not figure out why Tamon seemed to be one of the damned.

**1234567890987654321234567890**

Morinoko caught sight of her father early in the morning and she rushed over to him in excitement. He had not attended meals the last few days and she missed him terribly.

"Father!" she called out, catching his attention. He turned to look at her and Morinoko nearly froze, the look in his eyes scaring her a bit. But she continued over to him, albeit a bit slower, and stopped in front of him.

"I do not have any classes with Kikyo-sensei today," she informed him. "Maybe you could teach me to use the katana?"

Sesshomaru shook his head and Morinoko frowned. "Not today," he told her.

Morinoko smiled, trying to look pleasant. "But you have not taught me in aw-"

"Not today," he interrupted and Morinoko's smile fell. She crossed her arms over her chest, giving him an accusing look.

"That is what you said last time," she snapped angrily. "You always say that, 'Not today,' or 'tomorrow'. You are never around anymore and I just was to practice with you!"

"I said not today!" Sesshomaru roared and Morinoko shrank back. "You will be silent," he hissed before stalking away.

Morinoko stood where she was, her hands trembling. It was unlike her father to yell at her and Morinoko bit her lip, refusing to cry. It seemed like her father never wanted to spend time with her anymore. It had been like that for years; as time went on, he grew more distant and cold.

Morinoko walked off to go sulk. She decided to make herself scarce, hiding out in a linen closet where no one would think to look for her. Morinoko curled up on the blankets and buried her head in her knees. She did not know why her father was never a round, she just knew that it was the way it always had been, ever since she could remember.

"Morinoko?" A quiet voice carried through the hallway, soft and sympathetic. "Sweetheart, where are you?"

Morinoko slid open the door with a large _clack_ and Ayame spun around, having been frightened. When she saw Morinoko in the closet, she giggled.

"It is not funny," Morinoko snapped weakly. Ayame sighed and nodded, walking over to Morinoko.

"I know it is not funny, but if no one knew better, they would think you mad," Ayame told her, smiling softly. "Now get out and tell me what happened. I just saw Sesshomaru-sama storm past and I knew it had something to do with you. He is indifferent to the rest of us."

Morinoko pulled herself out of the closet and Ayame hugged her. Morinoko closed her eyes, feeling like a small child. "I just wanted to practice," Morinoko mumbled.

"Oh, Mori-chan, you know today is not a good day to ask him things like that," Ayame reminded her. The first day of spring was always an interesting one in the palace. While most people enjoyed the cool breeze and the dazzling colors, the servants took to their rooms, avoiding their Lord at all costs. Sesshomaru was particularly grumpy on the first day of spring.

"I forgot," Morinoko explained and Ayame laughed again.

"You are so forgetful," Ayame chuckled. "Now, come with me. I will spend time with you."

As they walked off, Morinoko leaned into Ayame, feeling safe. Ayame, having no children of her own, saw Morinoko as her own daughter, and if no one knew better, with Morinoko's green eyes and feisty attitude, most would assume she was her daughter. Ayame sighed, her heart heavy. Today was a bad day for them all; Sesshomaru was just the worst about concealing it.

**123467890987654321234567890**

Inuyasha caught sight of Myoga, ambling along on his wagon.

"Eh, Myoga!" Inuyasha called out, causing the old man to jump in his seat.

"Oh, Inuyasha-sama!" Myoga replied, fixing his jacket. "I have not seen you in ages."

Inuyasha walked up next to the stopped wagon. "No products?" Inuyasha inquired, eyeing the back of the wagon, not holding a scrap of cloth or a box of greens. "Are you not going to the kingdom to sell?"

Myoga shook his head. "I just do not feel like it, I have not felt like it all day. Can you feel it in the wind, Inuyasha? Something if off today."

Inuyasha snorted. "Crazy old man," he muttered. "Look," he started more loudly so Myoga could hear him, "you have been around a lot. Have you heard of the name Tamon?"

Myoga scratched his head. "Mmm, Tamon? I know none named Tamon. It sounds familiar, though. Where do they originate from?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "The east kingdom, it seems. All I know is he has something to do with Naraku and probably all the land-grubbing. I thought that if I was going to be an inconvenience by leaving, I could come back with some useful news."

"I do not believe I can help you, but there is a man up in the North Mountains who may know. He lives in the volcanic lands and is seen as a man of many years and much wisdom. If he does not know this Tamon, I would suppose no one would know," Myoga chuckled.

"The volcanic lands?" Inuyasha repeated. "Not much of a home. I should go now; travel to the North Mountains is far." Inuyasha strode off, without as much as a farewell. Myoga did not seem to care, though. No, instead he fixated his eyes on the trees above, watching the wind move fretfully through the leaves.

"Now if only I could understand," Myoga mused, chuckling to himself. "You know all the secrets do you not?" Myoga started up the wagon again, continuing his useless journey along the dirt roads, with no destination. The wind gave one last moan before dying off.

**123467890987654321234567890**

Morinoko sat beside Ayame in the kitchen as she worked, humming to herself and she ran her fingers through her hair. "Does my hair look like Father's?" Morinoko asked, examining it intently.

Without looking, Ayame laughed and replied, "Exactly like his. Just as long as well."

Morinoko nodded. "And my ears, they are like his as well?"

Ayame agreed hesitantly, not sure where Morinoko was going with this. "Of course, Mori-chan. You get your ears from your father."

"And my eyes?"

Ayame froze, her breath stuck in her throat. She could feel Morinoko's eyes on her, waiting patiently for a reply. Ayame swallowed, trying to find her voice.

"Not now," Ayame squeaked out. Morinoko groaned inwardly, it was always the same reaction, with the reply somewhere along the same lines.

"Just curious," Morinoko muttered, twisting her hair through her fingers. "No need to suffocate on it."

Ayame tried to relax, but she could not help but glance at Morinoko out of the corner of her eye, playing with her hair. She looked back at her meal, but lost concentration.

_"Oh, do not be so stingy, Ayame-chan! I am eating for two!"_

Ayame made a sound, something between a hiccup and a whimper. Morinoko looked at her curiously, concerned for Ayame. Ayame looked distant, though. Her eyes fixed on something else.

As if on cue, Shippo burst through the door, carrying a large basket. "Market was tough," he chuckled. "I wrestled this out of a man's hand. Last sack." Shippo held up the sack of unknown food product with pride, not noticing Ayame's pained look.

Morinoko made a point of motioning at Ayame and Shippo looked over. He looked confused as Ayame looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Are you okay, Ayame-san?" Shippo asked carefully.

"I am fine! I just need some fresh air that is all!" Ayame threw up her hands and ran out of the kitchen, leaving behind two confused, and concerned, children.

"What did you say to her?" Shippo asked, shooting Morinoko an accusing look.

Morinoko gaped at him. "I said nothing! I do not know why she is so upset, okay? Do not blame me, kitchen boy!"

"Well, something is making her cry," Shippo thought for a moment and blanched. "Oh."

"Oh?" Morinoko repeated. "Oh? Oh, what, Shippo-kun? What is your sudden realization?"

Shippo plastered on a fake smile and gave a laugh. "Oh, nothing, nothing at all, Morinoko! I should go check on Ayame, to see if she is okay! Bye!" Shippo shot out of the room and Morinoko screamed in frustration, stalking off to the dojo. If she needed to release some pent up energy and anger, she knew exactly how to do it.

**A/N: **Whoops! Sorry for another long MIA. I was visiting family, and well, you know how family can be. With a new baby (and a jealous sibling), things were pretty hectic. I'm back though, and hopefully I'll get on a better schedule. School will be starting up soon and I hope you all are getting excited because I'm not and at least one of us should be!

A lovely shout out to **Tsukino Aisuru – A**, for being my first reviewer. This time I got your username correct. Yay!


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Morinoko caught sight of Kikyo standing down at the steps of the temple, looking up. Morinoko looked up as well, following Kikyo's gaze to the face of the statue that had been erected years before Morinoko was born.

"What was she like?" Morinoko asked kindly and Kikyo looked over at her.

"Careless and lazy," Kikyo responded, "But loving. She had a big heart. She also smiled a lot."

Morinoko looked up at the face of the statue again and frowned. The woman was not smiling, looking ahead with fierce determination, her bow at the ready.

"I hate it as well," Kikyo sighed. "It reminds me nothing of Kagome." Morinoko nodded. While she had never met Kagome, she knew that Kikyo was right. The statue did not reflect Kagome.

The wind whipped through the yard, Picking up Morinoko's hair and throwing it. Morinoko blinked, feeling a strange thought grow inside of her.

"Sometimes," she started quietly, "I feel like Father cannot look me in the eyes."

Kikyo nodded. "You have your mother's eyes. Just as green and just as bright."

"Does he hate her? Did she leave him?" Morinoko asked in a hoarse voice.

"Sometimes I think he hates her. But sometimes I think he yearns for her to come back, though he knows she never will," Kikyo answered calmly.

"She died," Morinoko responded. It was not a question, for Morinoko could tell from the look in Kikyo's eyes that it could be nothing but true.

Kikyo nodded. "Mm, she died many years ago. I am surprised you did not know that."

Morinoko laughed humorlessly. "I am told little, especially that concerning my birth mother."

"You are just like her, really. Rebellious and annoying." Morinoko glared at Kikyo, but Kikyo only continued talking. "You work hard just like her, too. She would have been proud of you."

Morinoko's glare transformed into thoughtful look. "It seems both sons of Inunotaisho did not received a happy ending."

Kikyo nodded. "I thought they had found it too. They were never meant to leave. I am not supposed to tell you this, but your father was a mess after your mother died. He begged to the Kamis, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Finally, when he accepted the fact that she was never coming back, he gave you to Ayame, stating he was not fit to care for you. He watched from a distant as Ayame raised you as hers. Finally, when you were seven, he stepped in as a father."

"That was when he started to train me," Morinoko added. "I do not remember him much from those first few years of my childhood."

"He was never around. Always gone, leaving Inuyasha in charge as Sesshomaru swept over the borders. It was as that time when Naraku started to encroach on his land. I remember he used to lead the warriors, but Naraku always had the upper hand, ambushing them. Sesshomaru never returned home a victor."

"Was he powerful before that?" Morinoko asked.

Kikyo nodded. "Long ago, decades actually. It was early in Sesshomaru's rule when Naraku played with the border lines. It was harsh than too, but one day, it stopped. Naraku attempted to retake the land, but failed miserably. He no longer had that element of surprise."

"Interesting," Morinoko murmured. "Tell me, sensei, was there anything that could have caused Naraku's sudden declines in victory?"

Kikyo made a snickering sound. "That old bastard just lost his touch for a few years that is all."

"I see. Well, I should go now. I am tired from working in the dojo and I would like to rest up," Morinoko told her and departed. It was interesting how the cowardly snake, Naraku, was so easily brought into control, only to have it stolen from him and then returned again, decades later. Morinoko kicked a rock and looked up at the sky, pleading. _Please, whoever is up there and listening, help me make things right._

**1234567890987654321234567890**

The rain fell senselessly that night, obscuring the trees. The region was asleep, safely in their dreams. It was at that time when the wind picked up, howling through the forest. Trees creaked in protest and leaves broke off as branches snapped, unable to withstand the force.

The wind stopped suddenly, as did the rain, slowing down into a drizzle. The forest was quiet then when a gray wisp blew in, seemingly small and insignificant. It wandered over to the base of a tree, placing out an appendage and gripping the bark.

A far distance from the tree, a man sat in front on a mirror, examining his reflection critically. His room was lavishly decorated with hues of red, purple, and gold. He pushed his dark brown hair behind his ears and frowned. Within in him, he felt a small spark and his right eyebrow twitched. He ignored it though, almost like he had not felt a thing.

Below, in a damp cell, a hunched figure sat on the ground, eyes closed. Suddenly, their body was wracked with a horrible shudder and the figure gasped. They placed out a hand on the ground and a small pulse travelled through the earth.

Back at the tree, the wispy figure received the small pulse and moved away from the tree, blowing through the empty forest to its destination.

**124567890987654321234567890**

It was three days later when Inuyasha returned, sprinting through the gates at his fastest speed. Morinoko, safely walking down a hallway, holding a stack of books, shrieked when he ran into her. She and her books toppled to the floor, Inuyasha sliding to a stop several feet away.

"Inuyasha!" she growled, angrily, picking herself off the ground. "You are not a child! Do not run in the palace!"

Inuyasha snorted. "Like you can tell me what to do, _Princess._" Morinoko yelled, throwing a book at Inuyasha's head. He ducked with expertise, taunting her aim.

"Hmm, seems all that training has not been doing you any good," he snickered, laughing loudly. It was then, with his eyes closed, did one of Morinoko's books collide with his head.

Inuyasha snarled at her, But Morinoko only regarded him with a superior look. "For a supposed war hero, you do not pay much attention. Keep your guard up, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha rubbed her sore head. "Look, I got a lot of information to remember, so do not hit me again!"

Morinoko blinked. "Is that why you are so late?" Inuyasha ignored her question, stalking off. Not giving up just yet, Morinoko followed after him. "Because Father was real upset when you did not return when you were supposed to."

Inuyasha froze. "Damn, he is upset? How upset? Like rip-my-head-off upset?"

Morinoko shrugged cryptically. "All I know is that he is most definitely not a happy person right now." Morinoko smiled smugly as Inuyasha ran off, fearing for his life. Wanting to know about the information he mentioned, Morinoko followed after him, finding herself in her father's study.

Sesshomaru was beyond angry, up to the point where his face was void of any emotion. "You are late," he hissed and Inuyasha cringed.

"And I hope with good reason," Miroku, sitting on the other side of the room, added. "The patrols have been halted since your departure."

"I have a very good reason," Inuyasha snapped. "So shaddup and let me tell you!"

Sesshomaru leaned back in his seat and gave Inuyasha a pointed look, notifying him to start. Morinoko took a seat by Miroku, not once looking at her father. The last thing she needed from him was a disapproving look, telling her to leave.

"Well, you see, when I was heading back, I stopped in a tavern," Inuyasha began.

"Did you meet any pretty girls?" Miroku winked and Morinoko elbowed him, seeing as Sango was not around to do it.

"Let me finish," Inuyasha growled. "Anyway, I overheard two old men talking about Naraku and all his land stealing, blaming it on some guy named 'Tamon'." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and Miroku leaned forward intently.

"I had never heard the name before," Inuyasha continued. "So when I saw Myoga on the road, I asked him if he had ever heard of it. He replied no, but told me a guy in the Volcanic Lands would have an idea. So, I changed course and hiked up to the Northern Mountains."

"And were you successful in your finds?" Sesshomaru asked.

Inuyasha nodded his head vigorously. "Oh yeah. It seems Tamon is well-known over in the North."

"And who is he?" Miroku asked.

"He is the reason Naraku got all the land from us!" Inuyasha announced. "He is the reason we cannot win!"

"And what has his contribution been?" Morinoko questioned.

"Sesshomaru, you remember decades back when Naraku was doing the same things he is doing now?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"Well, you see, Naraku used to have a moriyokai on his court, named Hayate. He had a deep connection with nature and was able to, as they call it, "listen to the trees." He was the one at the time telling Naraku where your armies were, giving Naraku the upper hand."

"Meaning we could not surprise him. Hayate would have tracked our every move," Miroku breathed.

"Exactly," Inuyasha agreed.

"But what does he have to do with this?" Morinoko asked.

Inuyasha glared at her. "I am getting there. Now, Hayate was a member of Naraku's court, with some fancy title. He lived pretty well up in Naraku's palace; sitting back and helping Naraku prosper. You would think he would have shared his wealth, but he did not. Instead, Hayate took his younger brother and hid him in the Northern lands, in some isolated cave."

"Why?" Morinoko interrupted, earning her another glare from Inuyasha.

"I am getting there," he snapped. "Hayate apparently hid his brother from Naraku for the sole purpose of keeping his brother from being corrupted by Naraku. And that is where he has been for the last several decades."

"But why is his brother, Tamon I assume, involved now? Should Hayate not have stayed under Naraku as favorable?" Miroku questioned.

"Well, you see, some time ago, Hayate was killed and Naraku went without a forest spy for a long time," Inuyasha snickered. "But it was a few years ago, they say, when Tamon just up and left his cave, no reason at all. He had not been visited by anyone and had lived peacefully. He traveled to Naraku's court, proclaiming himself to be Hayate's lost brother and earned himself a luxurious position as a man who helped Naraku's greed cover the land."

Morinoko stood up quietly and exited the room, hearing all she wanted to hear. She carefully snuck out, hurrying down the hallway to her room. She had quite a lot of thinking to do.

Back in the study, Miroku broke the silence, asking, "Why would Naraku risk Hayate if he could easily do his job from afar?"

"Whaddya mean, monk?" Inuyasha muttered.

"I mean, Inuyasha," Miroku frowned. "Why would Naraku drag Hayate into a battle when he could do his job from a safe distance?"

Inuyasha looked down, suddenly nervous. "Uh, well, you see, Hayate did not die in battle. In fact, Naraku killed him."

Miroku sat in his chair, looking at Inuyasha calmly. "Why did Naraku kill Hayate?"

"Hayate committed the most horrible crime a yokai could in Naraku's eyes: he had an affair with a human," Inuyasha spoke lowly, sneaking a glance at Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru did not respond though, almost looking like he did not understand, but Inuyasha knew he did. Heck, if he could understand, then surely Sesshomaru did!

"So then Mitsuhime was born of high birth," Miroku mused. "She always seemed to fit into this world. So, Hayate was killed for his crime and Tamon came and took his place later, without warning."

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah, and so now he is helping Naraku return to his former glory."

**A/N: **Ehehehe, sorry about this horrible late chapter. My internet had been pretty wonky for the past few weeks and wouldn't load basically any website. Only Tumblr. So I guess my computer has s_ome _sense of priority. Anyway, here's chapter four and a lovely thanks to **Tsukino Aisuru – A **again! :)


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Morinoko paced. Thoughts flooded her mind and ideas were scrapped, but she had to come up with something. If Morinoko could somehow take out Tamon, her father would not be so concerned with his work and maybe she would see him more often. Maybe. It was worth it though, to at least try.

Morinoko sat down in the grass with a frustrated sigh, running her hands through her hair. She sat outside of the palace, her back up against the northern wall. It faced the forest, which Morinoko found comforting, and few traveled back there, giving her privacy. It was quiet, with only the faint tweet of a bird from a tree.

"I need to decide!" Morinoko groaned, leaning her head back against the wall. "I do not know what is right to do."

Morinoko's head shot up when she heard it, a small whistle. It was low and it echoed inside her ear drum, emitted from the forest. Slowly, Morinoko stood up, carefully making her way over to the forest. She gingerly stepped through the tree line, keeping her eyes and ears open. She just knew that the whistle had been for her and someone wanted her attention. Her eyes scanned the foliage, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Morinoko whipped around when she heard the small laugh, catching her full attention.

"Show yourself!" Morinoko commanded, crouching down to have better access to the dagger she always carried. "Face me."

_You must go, Morinoko. Go to the Eastern Lands._

Morinoko blinked, feeling panicked. The voice was that of a serious child, the words told to her without language. Morinoko knew she heard the message, but she did not hear the words. Morinoko sprinted out of the Forest, heading back to the palace. She reached the wall in a matter of seconds and began to climb, sticking her boots in the cracks and seams.

Once she reached the top, Morinoko stopped her frantic scurrying and sat on the wall, taking a deep breath. She turned her head to look back at the trees, seeing not a shadow or figure on the hill. It was not Shippo, trying to scare her.

"What are you doing?"

Morinoko, who was so focused on the forest, failed to hear the arrival of the person below her, despite her excellent hearing, shrieked. She looked down, seeing Shippo looking up at her, amused.

"You look like something is coming to get you. Are you okay?" Shippo asked with slight concern in his voice, regardless of the taunting smile on his lips. Morinoko shook her head, climbing down to meet him.

"I am fine, actually. Better than fine," Morinoko decided. "You see, I have made up my mind finally."

Shippo scratched his head. "About what?"

"We are going to the Eastern Lands."

**134567890987654321134567890**

"We really should not do this," Shippo warned for the seventh time that night. Morinoko clapped a hand over his protesting mouth as two guards ambled past.

"Shut up or they will hear you!" Morinoko hissed the moment they passed.

Shippo rolled his eyes. "That was Ginta and Hakkaku. Those two will not do a thing."

"I am not going to chance it," Morinoko whispered. "We have to go."

"No we do not," Shippo sighed. "Let Sesshomaru-sama handle this. He is a Lord, after all; he does this all the time."

Morinoko shook her head. "No, you do not understand. He will not be able to do this diplomatically. We must go inside and he will not do that, so I must. And I am bringing you with me."

"Bringing me down with you, you mean," Shippo muttered under his breath. Morinoko shot him a look, telling him she had heard him. From behind the screen door, Morinoko and Shippo shot across the gardens, racing to the wall. Morinoko hit the wall, sighing in relief. Now all they had to do was get over it unseen.

Taking a quick look around to make sure that no one was watching, Morinoko began to scale the wall, Shippo following after her.

"How often do you do this?" Shippo grunted, trying to find footing. Morinoko reached the top of the wall, Shippo only half-way up.

"More than you would think," Morinoko laughed. She tugged on Shippo's sleeve as he neared the top and pulled himself over. He glanced out at the expanse of land in front of him, squinting.

"Tonight was not the best night for attempted spying," Shippo commented. "It is a new moon."

Morinoko grinned. "All the better. It is dark enough so we do not have to cling tightly to shadows." Morinoko pulled Shippo's arm, his eyes falling from the horizon line to see her beginning her descent to the ground. Sighing, Shippo pulled himself into a crouch and sprang across the distant into a nearby tree.

"Show-off," Morinoko mumbled as her feet hit the dirt. She sprinted across the opening, taking cover behind the thick trunks of the trees. Shippo shimmied down from his branch and met Morinoko, looking excited.

"That jump gave me the rush I needed!" He informed her giddily. "Let us storm Naraku's home!"

Morinoko rolled her eyes, but she smiled. "Let us go quickly, I do not wish to be gone long enough to be missed by Father."

Shippo nodded and the two set off.

Off in the distance, up on a hill, a misty figure watched as Morinoko and Shippo carried through the dense forest, working there was to the Eastern Lands of Naraku.

"Be safe," the misty figure whispered before dissipating, leaving the hill empty, bathed under the moonless starry night.

**A/N: **Some nice little mystery mixed into the story.

Since I'll be starting my school year tomorrow, I believe I will be posting up a chapter each weekend. On Saturday or Sunday, I do not know. Of course, I don't have the best record for being in time, but you WILL get the rest of this story, I promise. :)

And a little thanks to all my readers for putting up with me. Y'all are awesome.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"How far until the border?" Morinoko inquired, looking off into the distance as if she would see a red line marking the change of power.

"Not too far, I believe," Shippo responded, scratching his head. "The boundaries are always changing. It is quite frustrating."

Morinoko nodded. They walked out in the open under the bright sun, not the least bit concerned about being seen. They were in a more unoccupied part of Sesshomaru's territory, one without roads or houses, so they had little fear of being seen.

"I think we are walking in the region of the Memorial Planes. I know the territory juts out into Naraku's," Shippo noted.

"I do not understand why Father so vehemently protects such unfertile land. It is not as if a village can be plotted or a farm can grow. It is most useless," Morinoko snorted. "Such a waste to protect land covered in unnamed graves."

Shippo's gaze shifted to the bright blue sky. "I guess Sesshomaru-sama has his reasons," he hedged.

"It is still a waste," Morinoko insisted. "A costly waste."

Shippo had been right. It was not before long when the decaying wall of the city could be seen through the trees. By now, most of the wooden wall had crumbled, the only sections staying up as fragile and petrified tree carcasses. Small plants grew over the fallen log and small animals made the empty village their home.

At the wall, Morinoko climbed into the village through a collapsed side. The plots where houses and stored had been were now piles of decomposed sticks, grass growing vibrantly over the dead wood. The once well-worn paths were covered in weeds, undecipherable.

"Hey!" Shippo hissed. "You cannot just walk through! It is sacred ground!"

"It would be faster to go through," Morinoko stated rudely. "Besides, it is only an abandoned town, not the grounds of a Kami."

"But Sesshomaru-sama said-"

"I know what he said, Shippo," Morinoko snapped. "He took me here personally when I was young. I was there when he told me to respect this useless piece of dirt and I am going to respect it by admiring it. Now let us _go_."

Shippo made a pained noise, but followed after her. "I do not see why this place is so important," Morinoko muttered. "It is just an old village."

The walk through the village was much quicker than if they had gone around and they did not have to cross through the crude grave markers. It was always eerie to see so many graves lined up. When she was first brought here, Morinoko had wondered how they all had died, but her father did not tell her, only looking up at a hill sadly. Morinoko believed it to be some plague that had killed all the people, thus her reason for not seeing it as sacred ground. Many people died from horrible diseases and yet they were not as honored.

They reached the other end of the village, climbing over a half-fallen log. Morinoko glanced back briefly at the village, thinking she had heard something. It sounded like a faint scream of someone calling her name echoing within the walls, but Morinoko ignored it, shaking her head. The last voice she had heard had sent her to do something possible dangerous. She did not wish to be tricked into further danger by another mysterious voice. Looking back as Shippo, it did not seem to Morinoko that Shippo had heard anything, so she fully dismissed it, forgetting it quickly. It was not best to dwell on things one hears with only their own ears.

"The village is very creepy," Shippo commented. "I had never been inside before."

"Neither have I," Morinoko chuckled. "It was peaceful, though. Serene, seeing as it was empty."

"Do you think this is a good idea?" Shippo asked.

Morinoko shrugged. "Most likely not. I feel as if we will be in great trouble. But I also feel as if it is necessary. If we can stop Naraku, we can end all this trouble."

"As long as you do not die," Shippo decided. "Then it will be fine."

Morinoko frowned, looking at Shippo critically. "What about you? Why am I the one who is going to die?" Shippo only shook his head and chuckled, like she had missed something.

Morinoko glared at him, not liking that she had been left out. "Let us go," she growled. "You waste my time." Morinoko did not even give Shippo time to respond before walking off. Shippo rolled his eyes and followed after her.

A dark feeling settled into his stomach as he realized they neared Naraku's border by a matter of a few steps.

**1234567890987654321234567890**

The sun was setting when Morinoko's keen ears picked up the rumbling sound. Shippo looked over at her worriedly, realizing what it was.

"We could hide," Shippo spoke lowly. Morinoko shook her head. "Too late," she whispered.

The group of Black horses appeared over the crest of a hill, hurrying down to them. Morinoko swallowed heavily, standing closer to Shippo. He looked down at her and her scared expression and stood up taller, hoping to look a bit more intimidating for his age and height.

The horses came down and circled them, riding around them. Shippo sighed in relief, not recognizing Naraku's face amongst the group. The man who seemed to be in charge stopped his horse and jumped down.

"You are not allowed to be here," Morinoko informed him. "This land is Sesshomaru's!"

The man chuckled. "Not anymore, girl," he sneered. He looked her up and down and his smile spread. Soon, all the men were smiling and laughing. Morinoko glared, knowing they were laughing about her.

"And you must be Sesshomaru's daughter," one man hissed, his voice high and irritating.

"A princess!" Another howled.

"And you should respect her!" Shippo growled, only making the men laugh even harder.

"Ah, and who are you, her servant-boy?" Another snickered. "Not a guard for sure. Not with those arms!" The men were in uproar, their jeers echoing through the forest.

As the laughter died down, the leader turned stern. "Now, get out!" He snarled. "You are not welcome here,_ Hime_."

Morinoko sniffed. "Fine, we will turn back." She turned on her heel, dragging a confused Shippo behind her. The man got back up on his horse and rode off, the other men following him. As the sound of hooves quieted, Morinoko stopped and looked back.

"We are not actually going back, are we?" Shippo asked, though he already knew the answer. Morinoko would not have her time wasted like that.

"No, we are not," Morinoko responded firmly. "His guards cannot scare me off that easily." Shipp sighed and followed Morinoko as they headed towards the way they had been going before Naraku's guards had stopped them.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

It was nightfall when Naraku's palace loomed in front of them, practically daring them to try and enter. Behind a tall bush they took refuge, Morinoko planning out there next move.

"I do not know if we can scale it," Morinoko whispered as she surveyed the tall wall. "It does not look worn at all."

"Maybe there is a less crowded entrance," Shippo supplied. "A door for servants or guards."

"It is possible," Morinoko responded. "Let us move quietly to find it." Shippo nodded and they crawled under the bushes, staying hidden. Finally, they came upon a small wooden door, visible under the low light of the torch. The door was unguarded and not a soul could be seen around it. Carefully, Morinoko crept up to it, placing an ear on the door. When she heard no sound from the other side, she tried the handle, seeing the door opened with ease. She motioned Shippo over and they scurried through the door.

On the other side, in the distance someone moved about the servant's quarters, but that was all. Morinoko tugged on Shippo's sleeve and they moved against the wall.

"Where do you think Tamon is?" Shippo wondered. "I would hate to be looking for Tamon only to find a spider."

"We will have to be careful," Morinoko replied. "Do you know what a Moriyokai looks like?"

Shippo though for a moment before responding, "Unusual green eyes and brown hair. They are normally tall as well. Though, I do not feel those characteristics will help us. Many have brown hair and not only moriyokai are tall."

"No," Morinoko agreed, "but only Tamon will have green eyes." She darted over to a tree and climbed up onto a branch. Shippo joined her shortly after. Morinoko surveyed the quiet grounds of the palace, seeing very little movement. A soft voice carried through the wind, but it was so distant she could not even make out the words.

"Follow me," Morinoko whispered, jumping from the tree to the roof of the palace. Shippo followed after her with ease. They landed with a soft thump, Morinoko rolling slightly before Shippo grabbed her, keeping her from falling off the roof.

"Thank you," she whispered and Shippo nodded. He jerked his head to the left, signaling the direction they should go. Morinoko nodded and followed him, hoping Shippo had heard something.

They crawled over to a window, where Shippo motioned for Morinoko to follow him it. It was a dim hallway, plain and undecorated. "Is this safe?" Morinoko asked. Shippo just nodded and walked down the hallway. Frowning, Morinoko followed after Shippo carefully, being careful to listen for any noises.

They came to stairs and Morinoko looked down them, noting the hallway below was much better lit. "We need to go down there," Shippo commented.

Morinoko shook her head. "There are most likely people down there!" Shippo ignored her and kept walking. Morinoko tried to grab his collar, but he hurried down the steps, just out of her reach. Morinoko cursed and followed after him quietly. He was going to get them killed.

The hallways, luckily, was empty and Morinoko looked around, trying to find Shippo. She saw his red hair vanish around a corner and she quickly went after him, intent on getting them out. Shippo was being far too reckless.

Just as Morinoko reached Shippo, she froze when she heard a loud crash. She ducked behind a table and peeked around. Down at the end of the hallway, she saw a young servant girl picking up a tray and pieces of food.

"Damn that man," the girl hissed and she picked up the mess. "Damn that Tamon." Morinoko clapped a hand over her mouth, covering her excited squeal. As the servant girl disappeared, Morinoko stood up, happy that she was this much closer. She sprinted over to Shippo, who had not once stopped and yanked on his hair.

"This way!" she whispered. "I found Tamon!"

"Huh? What?" Shippo blinked, rubbing his head. "You what?"

"I found Tamon!" she hissed. "We will go that way!"

Shippo shook his head, blinking. "Uh, yeah. That way." Morinoko gave him a weird look before hurrying down to the other side of the hallway. She stopped in front of the door the servant girl had been cleaning up and she breathed. Morinoko could not believe how close she was!

She opened the door a bit and peeked in, trying to see anyone. The room was empty and Morinoko opened the door more to step in. Shippo followed after her, closing the door behind him.

The room was dark, the only light coming from a candle in the corner. The room, even though there was horrible lighting, was decorated lavishly. Carpets covered the floor and paintings hung on the walls. A table stood over by the right wall, many trinkets covering its surface.

"Tamon seems to live a nice life," Shippo muttered. He picked up a small statue, eyeing it critically. "This looks like Marble." Morinoko came and stood beside him. She picked up a hoop. "This, I believe, is gold. It is not from around here."

Shippo picked up a cup, sniffing the liquid. "And this is not sake. I wonder where all of this comes from."

Morinoko shrugged, looking at a small plant occupying the corner of the table. "I do not know, but some of it is really pretty. It must be really nice where this all comes from."

"It is from Europe," a masculine voice spoke. "Who are you?"

**Tsukino Aisuru-A: **Yes, you would be correct. :) Did you figure it out by the mass graves or the scream Morinoko heard?

And it sucks that your school started on the 13th. Do you at least get out of school early?


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Morinoko shrieked, turning around. A man with long, dark brown hair pulled back into a low ponytail looked at her. His eyes were a soft green, though his gaze was hard. He wore a black robe and had gold hoops in his ear. Morinoko gulped.

"You must be Tamon," she stammered.

"I already know who I am," Tamon sneered. "I asked who you are."

"I am Morinoko," Morinoko quietly replied. "And this is Shippo, my companion. We have come to talk to you."

"Oh? Have you now?" Tamon sat down in a chair, looking at her expectantly. "Please, say what you must."

Morinoko regained her confidence and stood proudly. "We have come to ask that you stop assisting Naraku."

Tamon did not respond, only looked at her. As the silence wore on, Morinoko began to feel less brave and more stupid. She took a step back.

"What she means to say is," Shippo added quickly, "is that you switch sides. Naraku is not a man of good intent and if you were to change alliances, we could offer you protection. You could go with us unharmed."

"Who sent you here?" Tamon questioned. "Sesshomaru? You have white hair, I realize who you are, Morinoko."

Morinoko ducked her head. "He did not send me. I came on my own accord." Tamon nodded, leaning back in his chair.

"You see, it is not that easy," Tamon explained. "I cannot just change alliances. That is not how politics work, my dear. And you boy, you speak of Naraku as evil, someone who you believe no sane man would want to associate with."

Shippo nodded.

"But you see," Tamon grinned. "I am no sane man." Shippo's eyes widened and he took a step back.

Tamon chuckled. "I will not hurt you. I am above injuring children. Besides, I enjoy this luxurious life. I hardly do any work and I get what I want, when I want it."

"You sound like a spoiled child," Shippo sneered.

Tamon frowned. "I do not know if you realize where I come from, but I did not have much at your age, Shippo. I grew up in a cave. I want what I want."

"Your brother took you away from here for a reason!" Morinoko cried. "Do you not respect his wishes?"

"My brother was an idiot!" Tamon growled. "He wasted his life with a human woman and was killed for it! You may not realize this, but the events of today are causes of his actions. I am only here because he knew no better. It is his fault your father has lost all he swore to his father he would protect. If Hayate had only decided to stay away, no one would have to suffer."

"You cannot blame him for his choice!" Morinoko yelled. "It is not Hayate's fault that you became corrupt with greed! Hayate tried to save you!"

"Hayate was an idiot," Tamon laughed. "A love-sick idiot."

Morinoko shook her head and in her most scathing voice, retorted, "And you are a blind fool."

"It is not I who is blind," Tamon responded. "You realize little of what is actually happening right now. Do not blame me for Naraku's successes."

"People are suffering out there," Morinoko insisted. "You must stop this all before it is too late. People will die if Naraku wins."

"There will always be a safe place for you, Morinoko," Tamon sighed. "You do not have to worry about yourself."

"That is not of my concern!" Morinoko hissed. "I do not want to see everyone suffer because you let Naraku conquer the world."

Tamon shook his head, giving Morinoko a sad look. "It is quite depressing how things are turning out. But the world is not a fair place, dear. You cannot ask that I come away from here and pray that the misery will end. It does not matter what I do. As of now, no matter what I do, Naraku will prevail. It is inevitable."

"Naraku only wins because of you," Shippo groaned. "It all depends on what you do! Now choose safety and come with us!"

"Safety?" Tamon chuckled. "There is no safety with you. Sesshomaru would sooner cut off my head than protect me."

"Not if I asked him to," Morinoko told him.

"He would not, I promise," Tamon replied dryly. "I already know that Sesshomaru would not like me. I stand for little for what he expects from someone like me. He would have hoped for better."

Tamon looked out the window before looking back at Morinoko, studying her. "Tell me," he began. "How is your mother?"

Morinoko stared at him, unable to respond. She opened her mouth, but closed it quickly when she found she could not utter a word.

"She is dead," Shippo deadpanned. "She had been dead."

Tamon's eyebrows rose. "Dead, really? How did she die?"

Shippo glared at Tamon. "I do not see how that concerned you."

"I was just curious, boy," Tamon replied snippily. "Do not be so rude. You are the uninvited guests. Trespassers, in fact."

"If you hurry and come with us, we will not be trespassing any longer," Shippo growled.

"You do not seem to realize yet that I am not coming," Tamon chuckled. "Now hurry before you are found. Naraku will not take lightly to the fact that Sesshomaru's own daughter was found talking to me."

"We will not leave without you," Morinoko firmly replied.

"We should go, Morinoko," Shippo pleaded. "He will not go and the longer we stay, the less likely we are to leave this place alive."

Tamon nodded. "You should listen to him, Morinoko. Do not be so stubborn."

"You will not tell me what to do!" Morinoko snapped. "Either of you!"

The door to the room slid open and someone spoke, "Tamon, Naraku does not like how you treat his staff-" Morinoko spun around to see a smiling woman with red eyes.

The woman smirked. "Now, Tamon, who do we have here? Friends of yours?"

Morinoko looked over at Shippo, who also had a frightened look on his face.

**Gentle Catastrophe: **You haven't read the prequel? Well, if some things don't make sense, I guess you'll know why. Should be interesting to read them out of order, though. :)

Minor spelling errors? Haha, that's what I get for doing this on my own. I'm glad their only minor though, probably just me skimming over them because I'm lazy. :P

**Tsukino Aisuru – A: **Yep, well, I don't get out until sometime in June, I think.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

"Ah, Kagura," Tamon greeted. "I did not expect to see you here."

"And I did not expect you to have guests," Kagura smiled. "Especially ones with such silver hair." Morinoko backed up as Kagura watched her with grim intention. "I will have to tell Naraku."

Tamon stood up. "Now, Kagura. They are children. Must we involve Naraku?"

"Whenever there is an InunoTaisho involved, me must tell Naraku," Kagura chuckled. Kagura dashed down the hallway to find Naraku.

"I told you to leave," Tamon sighed.

"We can still leave now," Shippo insisted.

Tamon shook his head. "You would not get far before you are found."

As if to prove his point, a dark shadow filled the doorway.

"Now if it is not the little hime," Naraku chuckled. "I did not expect to find you here in my home. I did not realize Sesshomaru would sink so low as to send his own daughter as a spy into enemy territory."

"He did not send me. I came on my own," Morinoko snapped. "I am not afraid of you."

Naraku laughed. "Such a brave little girl, are you not? Fine, do not fear me, but you will come to see me as a threat. That I can promise."

Two guards sauntered into the room, taking Shippo and Morinoko, pulling them out into the hallway.

"Now, let us go and tell your father what you gave been up to, child." Morinoko swallowed. Sesshomaru would most definitely not be happy.

**134567890987654321234567890**

Waiting for her father to come and collect her was agonizing. She could see his face now and it was not pleasant. Her imagination playing out the scene only made her squirm. Morinoko and Shippo were sitting in two chairs in an empty room, the guards watching them intently. Naraku and Kagura were over in the corner, talking in low voices. Kagura sounds angry and frustrated as she spoke quietly to him. Morinoko strained to hear the words and still came up with nothing. Shippo was avoiding her gaze, opting to study the ceiling with great interest. Morinoko knew that he would get in more trouble, seeing as he was the older one here and should be the responsible one. Morinoko hung her head. It seems her great plan had fallen through and it was all her fault. If only she had listened when she was told to leave or, better yet, had never tried to carry through her crazy plan!

She looked up when two feet came into her eyesight and she looked up to see Naraku.

"Someone should be coming shortly to collect you," Naraku hissed. "And if I ever see you around here again, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Morinoko nodded mutely. Naraku turned on his heel and swept out of the room. Kagura made her way over to them, eyeing them with interest.

"You are very stupid for trying to talk to Tamon," Kagura told Morinoko. "You are lucky you are alive."

Morinoko nodded, looking down at the floor. Kagura crouched down, taking Morinoko's chin into her hand, roughly jerking her head up so Morinoko was looking into Kagura's face.

"Why did you do it?" Kagura demanded quietly. "Why?"

"I had to stop Naraku," Morinoko explained. "I had to stop him by taking away his most valuable possession."

Kagura stood up, laughing cruelly. "Take Tamon if you want him, kill him if you must. It will not change anything. Sesshomaru will fall, no matter what you do."

"You do not know that!" Morinoko argued.

Kagura turned to look at Morinoko, shaking her head. "I pity you child," Kagura spoke. "You know little and understand even less."

Morinoko glared, looking away. She heard the door slide open and shut with a _clack._ Kagura had left.

**134567890987654322134567890**

It was midday when the two guards ushered Morinoko and Shippo out of the room. They were led past Tamon's room, who stood at the doorway, staring at Morinoko. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, feeling uncomfortable. They continued down the hall when Morinoko heard a weird sound it her ears. It was as if a thousand different voices were whispering in her ear, filling her mind with the speech of wordless conversations. Morinoko shuddered as they sound grew louder.

_This way, look this way. _It was the voice Morinoko had heard in the forest. She turned her voice to the direction the sound was coming from and found herself looking at a painting of misty mountains. _Here, go this way._

A guard shoved Morinoko, realizing she had stopped, her eyes fixated on the painting. Morinoko stumbled forward when he shoved her, the whispering silenced. She tried to hear it again, but found she could not. The sound was gone and Morinoko's mind was clear. She continued forward, trying not to get distracted again.

**1234567890987654321234567890**

It had been bad enough that Morinoko had been caught, but as if to injure her pride even more, it was not her father that came. Instead, Inuyasha stood outside the gate, looking annoyed. Did Sesshomaru see Morinoko of so little importance, that he did not care to find out first that she was fine?

"Way to go, kid," Inuyasha snorted. "Get caught on your first try."

Morinoko did not reply, only standing still beside him.

"You best tell Sesshomaru that if I see anyone of his so far into my land again, I will not restrain myself from initiating the most severe of punishments, hanyo," Naraku warned.

"Guard you land better and you will not have this problem again," Inuyasha shot back.

Naraku walked back onto his grounds, the gate shutting securely behind him.

"Such a pleasant man," Shippo commented, frowning.

"Next time, do not be an idiot and get captured," Inuyasha growled, "then maybe you will not have to deal with such a_ '_pleasant' man. Now let us go. I did not want to be out here at this time."

Morinoko trailed behind Inuyasha, guiltily staring at her feet. "He does not care," she whispered.

Inuyasha turned his head to look at Morinoko, but did not stop walking. "Whaddya talking about?"

"Father," Morinoko sniffed. "He did not come."

Inuyasha snorted. "So that means he does not care? When he got the message, he only sent me because I will travel fast. He did not feel like yelling at you in front of Naraku. It was bad enough that Naraku knows you were not sent by Sesshomaru, it looks like he cannot control his kid. Sesshomaru, in fact, will be yelling at you far into the night when we return. Do not say I did not warn you."

Morinoko nodded, feeling like a fool. It had been a dumb decision and she only hoped Shippo would not have to suffer for her actions.

"Why did you go anyway?" Inuyasha asked. Morinoko thought of telling him the truth that she had heard a voice in the forest that told her to go, but decided against it. Morinoko did not wish to sound crazy.

"I wanted to convince Tamon to stop helping Naraku," Morinoko confessed.

Inuyasha snorted. "People like Tamon, people who help Naraku, do not just stop helping them. They are corrupt and evil beings; they are not going to change alliances simply because a small girl asked them to."

"He said he was finally getting everything he wanted," Shippo grumbled. "He said he was not going to give that up."

Inuyasha nodded. "It is selfish bastards like him that will ruin the world."

Morinoko sighed, looking up at the bright sky. _Why would anyone in the world ever help Naraku?_

**A/N: **

**Tsukino Aisuru-A: **You serious? Because if you are, I will totally take you up on that offer. Though, how does the whole beta Reader thing work? I haven't the slightest clue, honestly.

**Gentle Catastrophe: **I like to think that because I'm so smart, I automatically fix those mistakes subconsciously as I read instead of seeing them. But I think we all know that isn't true in the least bit. :)

But thank you for all the love; you are a wonderful person. And all the fighting comes later, you know, when all those hotheads get involved. :P


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Inuyasha had not been lying. Morinoko, upon her arrival home, was greeted with the sympathetic looks of the servants. They knew exactly what was going to happen. Morinoko gulped and walked into her Father's study.

Sesshomaru was bent over his desk, sorting through papers. At his side was Miroku, who looked up and gave Morinoko a pitiful look. Morinoko stood still with her back to the door, hands firmly clasped behind her. Sesshomaru finally looked up, and Morinoko tried not to curl up under his harsh gaze. He cleared his throat and Miroku left the room, only stopping briefly to give Morinoko a comforting pat on the shoulder.

The door to the room shut behind Morinoko and the room fell into silence; Sesshomaru stared at Morinoko and Morinoko tried not to cry. She was not a child anymore, but the pressure building up in the room was not helping.

"Why?" Sesshomaru asked, his voice low and calm. Morinoko cringed.

"I wanted to help," she whispered.

"By endangering your life?" He questioned.

Morinoko squeezed her eyes shut. "I feel so useless sometimes."

"That does not mean you can go off and do something so reckless and irresponsible!" he hissed, standing up.

"I did not think we would be caught by Naraku," Morinoko explained.

"And if you had not been caught, that would have made it okay?" Sesshomaru's voice was slowly climbing in volume and Morinoko started to squirm under his gaze.

"Well, no, but-"

Sesshomaru did not let her finish. "You are far too young to be doing something as stupid as purposely infiltrating enemy land! It is bad enough that you could have been killed, but on top of it all, you made it seem like I cannot even control my own child!"

Morinoko's head shot up, tears blurring her vision. "It that is?" she shrieked. "Is that all that matters to you whether or not my actions reflect you poorly? I only wanted to help, Father! I feel-I feel, so useless around here! I wanted to help! I only wanted to help you!"

Sesshomaru did not waver. "It was irresponsible, regardless of your intentions," he growled. "You are not to do anything like that again!"

Morinoko did not answer, unable to utter a single word, but she did let out a frustrated and strangled yell.

"Now, listen to me, Morinoko," Sesshomaru warned. "If I even find out that you have snuck out again, you will be severely punished. Do you understand me?" Morinoko nodded stiffly.

"You are never to go back to the Eastern Lands again—ever—and as of now, you are not permitted to exit these walls. Do you understand me?"

"What?" Morinoko gasped.

"I said do you understand me?" Sesshomaru roared.

"Loud and clear," Morinoko snapped. She fled out of the room, trying to get as far away from her father as she could.

**134567890987654321134567890**

Ayame found Morinoko up in a tree, throwing pebbles into a pond, watching the fish scatter.

"I cannot believe you did that," Ayame started, keeping her voice neutral. Ayame, in fact, had been worried sick when Inuyasha had come running back from his patrol, talking quickly of a message that had been sent via Naraku's saimyosho. Ayame wanted to yell at Morinoko as well, but she knew the girl had heard enough already from her father. The whole palace had heard, actually.

"I do not want to hear it," Morinoko grumbled. "I already know it was stupid of me."

Ayame sighed. "We were all worried, especially your father."

"No, Father was upset that I had scarred his perfectly good image," Morinoko sneered.

"You are all he has left, Morinoko. He does not want to lose you as well," Ayame spoke softly. "You remind him so much of Mitsuhime."

Morinoko threw another pebble into the pond. "That is why he spends so little time with me," Morinoko whispered. "He hates her."

Ayame gasped. "He hates her? Who told you that?"

Morinoko rolled over onto her stomach to look down at Ayame. "Kikyo-sensei told me that. He hates her because she left him."

"Mitsuhime died, Morinoko," Ayame replied tersely. "He cannot hate her for something she could not stop."

"Sure she could of," Morinoko retorted. "She could have defended herself. She could have chosen to win and live, but instead she chose to die."

"You cannot just choose to win or to lose, to die or to live, Morinoko," Ayame snapped. "That is not how the world works. You have much to learn." Ayame stalked off back into the palace and Morinoko continued to throw pebbles into the pond, watching as the water rippled across the pond and the fish swam for cover.

Morinoko ran out of pebbles quickly and pulled her dagger out of her boot. She studied the cool grey metal of the blade, which was undecorated and plain. The handle was black with lines cut into it, making up an abstract design. On the bottom was a faded stamp, one which Morinoko could not read. It had once been a bright red, probably a family stamp, alerting the user of its heritage. Morinoko paid little attention to it, though, instead opting to carve long, deep gnashes into the bark of the branch. Morinoko felt a pain in her arm and flinched. She pulled up her sleeve, thinking she must have been stung or bitten. She inspected her arm, but saw no damage. She ran her hand over it, trying to find some sort of bump or cut, but came up empty. Shrugging, Morinoko went back to carving into the tree. Once again, she felt a sting on her arm, but ignored it. Morinoko began to feel like she was going crazy and decided to accept it. She heard voices and felt invisible pain. Maybe she really was insane.

**A/N: **A wonderful, beautiful thanks to my new Beta, Tsukino Aisuru-A, who now makes it look like English is my first language. :) Okay, I'm not that bad, but she's a wonderful help. Hopefully I fixed all the mistakes she pointed out…


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Morinoko loathed being cooped up behind the towering walls of her own home. She felt like a small animal cut off from something vital and trapped within herself. It was a downright, horrid feeling.

Shippo was avoiding her. Because he had to or because he wanted to, Morinoko did not know. She had tried to talk to him in the kitchen, but he blatantly pretended she was not there as she stood not a foot from him, calling his name. Ayame finally got annoyed and smacked Shippo on the head, but after years of that kind of abuse, he was unwavering. Morinoko tried to not to feel hurt when he did not even look at her.

It was lonely and boring to Morinoko. She would sit in her room, trying not to tear out her own eyes. She tried reading, she tried painting, but found none of it could help her. She was slowly going crazy locked up in the palace.

It had been two weeks when Morinoko could take it no longer. She had been lying in bed, trying to sleep when the feeling overtook her. It filled her system, flooding her mind. She had to get out and she had to get out now. Her eyes shot open and she threw off her blanket, standing up quickly. She moved her way over to her balcony, peering out to below her. It was empty as no one currently patrolling the area. Morinoko quickly dressed, grabbing her dagger from a table. She did not know why, but she could not leave it, not now.

She climbed over the railing, dropping down into a few bushes below. She crawled down on her belly underneath them, working her way over to the wall. She hated to disobey her own father, but her body was not giving her a choice. She felt like she had to do it; she had to get out or suffer.

Morinoko did a quick look around before running straight towards the wall. She pressed up against it, hiding in the shadows. The moon was bright out tonight.

She wasted no time in turning around and making her way up the wall with record speed, throwing herself over the top and just as quickly making her way down. Morinoko felt satisfaction rise up in her system when her feet hit the dirt. She was on the other side, completely free.

She sprinted towards the forest, a laugh bubbling up in her throat. Once she was within the trees, Morinoko let it out, laughing loudly and without care.

"You came."

Morinoko stopped laughing, frozen. Despite the calming soothe of the voice, Morinoko was on edge. She spun around quickly, shocked at what she saw.

It was a spirit, Morinoko did not doubt that. It was small and child-like, without any physical descriptions to it. It was nothing more than wispy figure of smoke.

"Who are you?" Morinoko asked, feeling far braver than she actually felt.

"That is not important, Morinoko," the spirit replied, its voice nothing more than a whisper.

"How do you know my name?" Morinoko questioned.

The spirit laughed. "I know everything about you, Morinoko. Everything I need to know. Now please sit, I have something I need to tell you."

Despite her better judgment, and her mind screaming at her to run, Morinoko sat down. Something deep down inside her, something that had been buried for so long, told her to stay. And she listened to it, unable to ignore its pleas.

"The land is dying, Morinoko," the spirit told her. "It is in great trouble. Its last voice is slowly withering away, falling to corruption and greed."

Morinoko scratched her head, confused. "What do you mean, 'its voice'?"

The spirit chuckled. "Oh, Morinoko, how can you not know? The one who speaks for the trees, the Moriyokai. The last true one of its kind is dying, Morinoko, and no one has stepped up to take their place and I fear no one will."

Morinoko immediately knew who the spirit was talking about. Tamon, the last of the moriyokai. He was falling into Naraku's trap, falling into corruption. "I tried," Morinoko groaned. "They will not go!"

The spirit moved, in what Morinoko assumed was it shaking it head. "I have been restrained by my own reason for being here, but you must understand: I can only tell you little, though I wish to say more. I can only do little, though I wish to do much. You have to save the forest, Morinoko, you are the only one that can."

"Why not talk to my Father, Sesshomaru-sama?" Morinoko suggested. "Maybe he can get people to listen. He can help save the forest."

The spirit shook its head. "How I have tried for Sesshomaru to see me, to even hear me, but his heart is closed off and he has gone deaf to the world. He cannot hear me."

"I cannot do it alone!" Morinoko cried. "Alone, I create too much trouble. You have to find a way for Sesshomaru to hear you!"

"I am weak, nothing like my living counterpart. They are strong; now having only their ears to listen. But even they, as strong as they are, cannot get Sesshomaru to listen. He is deaf and my living counterpart grows weak as the moon passes each night. You have to do something quickly, before it is too late. Naraku grows more power-hungry and I feel the forest beginning to sway. They follow their voice and their voice is trapped."

Morinoko nodded. "Nature itself is turning to Naraku."

"Very much so," the spirit agreed. "Soon, it will rise up under their voice's command and attack."

"Well, can the voice of the forest not call them off?" Morinoko asked. "Can they not choose their own side?"

The spirit shook its head. "They cannot. It is not that easy, Morinoko. They are unable to move, unless acted upon by an outside force. They can do so little unless you help. You must help, Morinoko, you must."

The spirit began to fade, floating away with the wind. Morinoko blinked and rubbed her eyes, wondering if she had been dreaming. But she was still out in the forest and the warning rang in her ears, sending shivers down her spine.

Morinoko spun around slowly, watching the trees. The spirit spoke as if they were alive, readying themselves for battle. How could a tree, with its roots deep into the ground, rise up and attack? It was just not possible!

But as the shadows danced around as the trees swayed in the light breeze, Morinoko began to feel more fearful. Images flashed before her eyes and the screams of those in pain filled her ears. Nature would rise up and attack, and Morinoko was the only one in the world who had the knowledge to stop it.

She ran out of the forest, heading straight back into her room. She would not sleep tonight, no. She had far too much to think about, far too much to plan.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

"I did not expect your highness to find time to visit my humble abode."

"Do not be so smart with me. I have come to command something of you."

"Have I not done what you ask, Naraku? Have I not killed those who you commanded I should? You have what you want; now leave me in peace to die."

"I cannot have you die; you are far too important to me now. I finally have what I lost when Hayate turned his back on me."

"Hayate was a brave man: something you could never be!"

"Do not make me laugh! Hayate was a fool! He placed himself before others! It is his fault that you are here. If he had only done as he was told, you would not have to suffer."

"What is that you ask of, Naraku?"

"Another army of Sesshomaru's makes its way closer."

"I know. Farther up north along the border. It was I who told you that, Naraku. Why must you hurt me by reminding me of what I do?"

"It is something special you must do."

"What? Has sending your own men into victory grown far too boring for you?"

"Hardly. No, I only wish to convey a message."

"A… A message? What kind of a message, Naraku? What is it that you want me to do?"

"You have grown stronger these past few years; nature itself bends to your will."

"I am not so vile as to make something bend to my will! I am not a treacherous snake like you!"

"And yet, look at what you do. It is your fault that Sesshomaru's palace will fall."

"What is it you want me to do?"

"Ah, now, do not sound so forced. I only ask that you send a message. I want you to scare them."

"Scare them? I laugh at that, Naraku. You, only wishing to send them frightfully back to their homes? Fine. Scare them, Naraku. I do not care."

"It is you who I want to scare them. Send out your own army; let them know that I have become far more powerful than they have ever imagined. Let Sesshomaru know that my years with Hayate were merely me play-fighting."

"… Is Sesshomaru among them?"

"Do not ask me; you are the one who can sense them. But, to answer your question, no. He is not. It is that filthy hanyo brother of his."

"So, you wish me to terrify them, sending Inuyasha back with his tail between his legs? That is all?"

"Oh, for the love of Kami, no one will die! Now do as I say or you will suffer!"

"Do not grow irate with me. I will do as you say; there is no need to threaten me. Now, go. I wish to do your bidding in peace."

"Fine, but I had better hear later of how Inuyasha was defeated by a mere tree!"

"Laugh all you want Naraku, but you, too, will one day succumb to nature as well…"

**134567890987654321234567890**

The small group of men made their way through the trees, walking safely along their side of the border. It was nerve-wracking, seeing how quiet the forest was. The men anxiously awaited for, as if tipped off, Naraku's men to fall from the trees, pour down on them and slaughter them without remorse or regret.

Inuyasha led the men, not feeling the least bit afraid. He had fought many battles with Naraku's army and he was not afraid of another one. But it was by far too quiet. By now, Inuyasha should have been fighting some soldier, sending his katana straight threw them. Naraku was being quiet today.

From beside him, Ginta asked, "Do you think they are watching us?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "I see no one above, below, or beside, Ginta. It seems Naraku has decided to play unfairly."

"How so?" Ginta asked, confused.

"He knows we expect an attack, so he gives us none. What a bastard."

Ginta failed to see comprehend Inuyasha's logic. That did not seem like playing unfair to Ginta.

"Did you hear that?" One of the soldiers panicked.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Hear what?"

"That sound," the man replied.

"And what was that sound?" Inuyasha asked, annoyed.

"It was-it was a creak," the soldier answered.

Inuyasha did his best not to turn and hit the soldier. "We are in a forest," Inuyasha responded. "Forests creak. Trees creak. Not shut up and let's finish this patrol so that we can go home!"

A loud boom echoed through the forest and what sounded like a tree falling. Inuyasha scanned the forest, but saw nothing.

From behind him, a soldier screamed. Ginta whirled around, but saw nothing. "What is it?" he demanded.

A soldier shook his head. "I do not know. It was fast and undecipherable." He held up his arm, which had a long cut along the side. "But it got me bad."

"I think now Naraku is playing unfair," Ginta commented, seeing no attackers.

Inuyasha felt a jolt run through his system, like a warning. "We need to go. Now," Inuyasha commanded.

"Why? You see something?" Ginta asked.

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, it is just that I felt som-"

The ground began to shake and roots sprouted out from the soil, waving through the air like snakes. Men scattered as the roots fell,creating deep indents in the ground. The whole forest seemed to come alive, the tees rocking and shaking through the entire forest. More roots shot out of the dirt and one wrapped around Inuyasha's leg. He pulled out his katana and swiped it over the root. It swiveled through the air from the injury, finally falling dead on the ground.

"Get out of here!" Inuyasha roared as the sky began to black out as the roots sailed through the air, capturing men and weaving themselves into a net.

Inuyasha sprinted across the ground, jumping and dodging roots. His katana cut effortlessly through the roots as he tried to keep his footing. The roots flew around him, trying to grab him and pull him down, but Inuyasha fought against them.

"I will not be killed by a mindless plant!" Inuyasha grunted as he cut another from his arm.

Inuyasha finally made his way to the top of a hill, the soldiers, dirty and exhausted standing beside him. From a distance, Inuyasha watched as the roots slither back into the ground, disappearing. All that was left to show a battle was the torn up ground.

"Is everyone accounted for?" Inuyasha called, not seeing any bodies lying down by the scene.

Ginta nodded. "Everyone is accounted for. Inuyasha, in all of my years, I have never seen something like that before. How is that even possible? trees cannot call forth their roots to attack!"

"No, they cannot," Inuyasha grimly replied. "But I do not think the trees did it on their own. Come, we must return. It is time for Sesshomaru to realize just how much of a threat Tamon and Naraku have become." Inuyasha turned and made his way west, back to the Kingdom of Inunotaisho. Ginta glanced once more at the battle ground before turning to follow Inuyasha. He began to fear that there was no hope in this war; Naraku would win.


End file.
